NSW musicians finally get their own awards and it’s the biggest cash prize in Australia

After years of watching their mates frock up for their State music awards, NSW artists will finally get their own gongs and the cash prize is massive.

NSW musicians will finally get their own awards after decades of being ignored as other states celebrated their local artists.

And it’s the biggest music prize in Australia, with the state government offering $80,000 to the major NSW Music Award winner for the single or album judged to have “the most significant impact.”

The winners of the First Nations Music Award and Breakthrough Artist of the Year will each score $40,000.

“Despite the fact NSW is the engine room of Australia’s music industry, we were one of the only states that didn’t have a music prize. I thought that was a travesty, so the arrival of the NSW Music Prize will right that wrong,” Minister for Music John Graham said.

Lime Cordiale are proud Sydney music-makers making inroads internationally.

NSW duo Royel Otis has been killing it overseas. Picture: Alex Wall / Supplied.

While the eligibility criteria is to be finalised, there are a raft of contenders for the inaugural awards open to NSW solo artists or groups who have released new work between July 1, 2024 and June 30 this year.

Sydney born and raised global rap star The Kid Laroi is a frontrunner to score a nomination, having released his new single “How Does It Feel?” just before the June 30 cut off.

Indie duo Royel Otis who have taken the world by storm have been strong favourites with awards judges over the past two years.

Alternative rockers Lime Cordiale, who have been playing to record crowds in America opening for Tash Sultana, are also in the running with last year’s No.1 record “Enough of the Sweet Talk.”

Sarah Blasko released her new album “Just Need to Conquer This Mountain” last year. Picture: Marcus Coblyn

Established artists also vying for the major prize include electronic superstars Rufus Du Sol, acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko, hip hop heroes Bliss N Eso, Menangle rockers The Rubens and Angus Stone with his Dope Lemon side project.

There is a wealth of First Nations artists from the State making noise on the airwaves and stages also up for the inaugural gongs from proud Nowra rapper Nooky and western Sydney rhyme queen Barkaa to soulful northern NSW singer Budjerah.

Powerful hip hop artist Barkaa is a contender for a NSW Music Prize nomination. Picture: Tristan Stefan Edouard.

Emerging acts to keep an eye out for on the nominations list for the awards to be held in Sydney in November during Ausmusic Month are alternative pop chameleon Grentperez, r&b goddess Becca Hatch, Barnesy’s grand-daughter Ruby Rodgers and Cronulla all-women indie rockers The Buoys.

Graham said the awards were overdue to address the identity crisis suffered by NSW music-makers.

“For a lot of NSW citizens, I don’t think they know who their NSW artists are, they would think of them as Australian artists,” he said.

“We just want them to have that second thought to realise how local they are so that deepens the connection between the fan and the artists.”

Formed in Cronulla, based in the inner west, indie rockers The Buoys are one of the hottest new NSW acts. Picture: Supplied.

NSW has a long and illustrious roll call of musicians who have claimed global success over the decades from AC/DC, INXS and Midnight Oil to Flume, 5 Seconds of Summer and Dean Lewis.

The Breakthrough award will prove a profile-boosting game-changer for emerging talent who struggle to get airplay or cut through on streaming services against top tier international acts.

The struggle for local artists can be seen on the ARIA charts where streaming has shut out homegrown releases from the top 50.

“The thing that really worries me is our artists getting locked out of the international music system at the moment as streaming really narrows the chances of our artists taking off,” Graham said.

“Every global success has got to start locally somewhere. And we’ve got to recognise how important the local scene is and when our local artists do succeed, either on the national or the international stage, we’ve got to claim them and celebrate them. We’ve singly failed to do that until now.”

Other states are huge on blowing the trumpet for their local acts with long-standing gongs via the Music Victoria Awards (paused for 2025), Queensland Music Awards and SA Music Awards.

Rappers Bliss N Eso (Jonathan Notley and Max MacKinnon) released their latest No.1 record The Moon in April. Picture: Sam Ruttyn.

Respected promoter, indie record label owner and Australian music champion Michael Chugg agreed the awards are long overdue.

“I think nationally we need to get more Aussie kids into Australian music, and these things help,” he said.

“With streaming now, to make it in your own country, you pretty much need to have a f...ing big hit in America or England.

“There has been a disconnect here and a lot of people don’t even know those artists doing really well overseas are Australian.”

The government is now calling for Expressions of Interest to join the nominations committee and judging panels via Sound NSW.

Originally published as NSW musicians finally get their own awards and it’s the biggest cash prize in Australia